Mainstream Media: The Next Level for Video Games

Enemy troops race toward you. Firing at your head, you dodge bullets as you dive into nearby brush for cover. You quickly take a moment to catch your breath, only to realize that you are dangerously low on ammunition. Running in a berserk frenzy, you weave through the unending crossfire. Spotting a disoriented, enemy soldier in your path, you tackle him and rip the PX80, submachine gun, from his grip. Spinning expertly, you drop to the ground and fire. You manage to take out the entire enemy squadron single-handedly. Carnage lies all about you. Congratulations, you've made it to the next level.

What is it about video games, one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment that has drawn viewers away from many forms of leisure activities? Could it be the vicarious rush of adrenaline we experience when fighting with super human strength, or ultra-tech weaponry? Has this become the escape outlet of the modern era?

Moving from geek to mainstream, the mere classification of hobby is no longer appropriate. Gaming has moved past this point and is on its way to becoming the next media giant. Introduced in the early 70's, gaming has continually gained momentum along with technological innovations spanning from Pong to Atari, then Nintendo systems and progressing to computers and high-tech consoles complete with THX® decoding, Dolby® surround sound, and internet connectivity.

The impacts of gaming and its growing popularity are staggering. Time spend playing games will eventually exceed average television viewing hours, and will undoubtedly have a profound effect on our culture and societal existence. The forms of mass media in the 21st century are rapidly changing positions as the newest contestant, interactive software entertainment, a.k.a. "gaming," has now come to the forefront on the playing field.

As stated by James and S. Roy Wilson, we already spend, "...more than seven hours per day, which translates into more than 2,400 hours per year - the most time-consuming activity besides sleeping." (Wilson 324) If gaming is surpassing these numbers, what will life become for future generations? Gaming has become the new revolution and affects many of us at all ages.

In addition, results of a recent personal study revealed that out of twenty sampled respondents 15 out of 20 were gamers. Participants of this interest survey included professional executives, parents, children, single adults, and others. The average number of game systems in homes totaled five and the majority of respondents played 10, or more hours each week. All but two survey's specified that they could recall recent advertisements in print, or in commercials. This is surely, positive proof that gaming has touched many of our lives and has absolutely replaced basic television viewing for a large portion of our society.

It is possible, that young children will have permission to play games up to seven hours per day on average. Many of them, left unsupervised, unlike the cited concerns of parents with regard to television viewing. The controversies of gaming and its affect on our youth are powerful and many carry serious speculations. Some of these arguments range from the belief that violent games will produce a de-sensitized generation to standard ethical practices adopted by game developers and a need to restrict mature-titled game sales to minors.

There are many challenges in analyzing the effects of gaming on younger players. One major point of contention focuses on determining the need for government versus parental controls. A political figure, that has championed the prohibition of mature-titled sales to minors, is Former Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois. As quoted in a recent article, "Blagojevich says violent video games don't just show criminal acts - they let kids commit them. Kids are not spectators...they're the ones who cut people's heads off." (Anonymous, Game Over?, Children's Module-ProQuest 1) The resulting power of these theories has led many game retailers to implement policies that do not permit the selling of mature-rated games to 18 and under customers. Although many supporters of this movement have tried to pass legislation, the government maintains a firm stance that protects gaming due to the free speech amendment. The government's position on this issue supplies the matter of evidence, to the fact that gaming has evolved to a state of media communications.

Should legislation step in and remove parental control where games are concerned? This is a hot topic of discussion. Do parents really need help monitoring their children's game selections? Currently, there are two main viewpoints in play. Some people believe that parents should be the sole authority on decisions regarding exposure to various mature experiences. Others believe that these people may need assistance from the government. In fact, they surmise that the average parent may not have any awareness of the violent content their children gain exposure to. This side provides various scenarios for us to consider. One such situation, involves the probability that many parents may not realize a game's initial, mature nature. Some games, present mild combat play early, then, advance to increasing amounts of gore as the player completes late-stage levels. A parent would have to watch vigilantly over their child's shoulder to ensure material is not too adult. How many people are likely to do this? Would it be easier on everyone if the government managed this matter by regulating and prohibiting the selling of these titles to underage children? Others factors play in as well. For example, many of the newer, pocket gaming systems enable a more "private" environment for game play. How can parents effectively manage something that fits in their kid's pocket, accessible at anytime? As stated in their "Video Game Culture" article, the Media Awareness Network cited unfavorable findings, Video game culture is often, criticized for its negative affects on youths. "Many of them felt that there were some negative consequences associated with playing violent games and that many kids played too much. It was also surprising that given these concerns, parents did not monitor or control their children's game play. Parents rarely played video games with their kids and they set fewer rules around gaming then they did for TV."

Perhaps the government should lend a hand with this control, or, is the matter sitting within, the ethics culture of the gaming industry itself? What it comes down to is that game designers face many of the same issues that artists must struggle through to balance their rights of free expression with that of their actions' effects on the intended audience. Because games are such a popular form of media and expression, they possess the innate ability to influence those that play them. In light of this evolution, game developers are attempting to build an honor code of ethics throughout their community to ensure that negative effects on young players are lessened. Many well-known developers feel that ethical game design begins with decision on genre, as reported in Takahashi's recent article, "Some games are supposed to be fun," says John Whitmore, director of design at 20 Studios in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and co-creator of the Vietnam war game Men of Valour. "Some are trying to be artistic. If you have the pretension of trying to be more artistic, you have to think about the ethical decisions you make. It's hard to call a game like Grand Theft Auto high art. Some fantastic movies are racy. But porn doesn't quite make it to the Academy Awards." (Takahashi 4)

How did this leisure-time activity become the "big business" giant it is today? Its success has diverted profits from both the Hollywood machine and the music industry. These in turn, have had to adapt to form creative methods of implementing profitable practices from the gaming industry, into their own forms of entertainment. Ultimately, each builds on the other's specialized benefits to effectively reach their target audiences. Hollywood licenses franchise opportunities of top rated movies for video game development. Up and coming musicians feature new tracks as soundtracks to newly released games, bypassing the traditional ladder of evolution with radio stations and studio producers. As a result, we now have a symbiotic mixture of games made from movies and movies made about games. Approaching nearly $10 billion dollars in sales each year, this innovative communication medium has almost topped the list of entertainment choices. Second, only to the Internet, video games have usurped the passive role of television in our recreational time.

Online access has truly changed gaming expectations. Author Powers discusses this important trend in his feature article prepared for Forbes magazine, "More than anyone predicted, online gaming is driving the all-important software sales that are the profit engine of the $10 billion dollar videogame industry. Dwarfed by Sony, which claims 60% of the North American market, Microsoft has bet far bigger and bolder to grab the online advantage as both feverishly race to get their next generation consoles into stores by 2006." (Powers 2) Trends in this fast paced industry seem to run in 5-year cycles. The competitive landscape changes upon the release of innovative technologies, or new gaming systems. (Borden 4) Further reading of another article, printed in Fortune magazine, summarizes the success of this industry and its potential for continued growth. Their speculation is that, "Demographic trends are also playing a role. First-generation gamers, kids who started playing during the Pong era, have grown older, but many haven't stopped playing. "Games are reaching a much broader audience." say Circuit City's vice president of general merchandise, Clif Denney. "I see parents buying for their kids and also adults buying for themselves. People who grew up with computers are more comfortable with games and aren't leaving gaming behind." (Borden 4)

Proof of the impact of gaming on our culture is also evident in the recent trend of adaptation for the use of games and their technology. The depth of this affect is present in this paraphrased segment of Stanley's article.

A few years ago, Prada showcased video game, inspired fashions on Paris runways, while popular rappers began to integrate references to games in their lyrics. Many musicians incorporate sample video game sounds into their recordings and the Minibosses of Phoenix are renowned for their performances featuring Nintendo game music. (Stanley 2)

Gaming as a communication medium has caught the attention of Blue-Chip corporations and Madison Avenue agencies. Communicating with innovative and game inspired advertising messages these corporate giants have positioned high-ticket investments in commercial and print sources exclusive to the growing gaming audience. Discussing the phenomenon of gaming popularity, and Ad Age article recently highlighted some evidence that games have leveled up to a more powerful medium. Now, there is a cable channel, G4, devoted entirely to the gaming obsession. Advertising space for spots on this network has reaped profits from perspective marketers. Participants have included major consumer companies like Chrysler Jeep, Coca-Cola Company, and Best Buy. Even Spike TV is getting in on this action with their "Video Game Awards" aired in past years. Sponsors of this award program included well-known companies such as Target, Radio Shack, and General Motors Corporation.

In Stanley's words, "Lara Croft, the game that became a movie that became more games, (and more movies) is a premiere example of how digital games now spawn new entertainment properties as well as marketing tie-in potential." (Stanley 4) There are a number of movies based on popular games. You may recall some of these films; Final Fantasy, Mario Brothers, Mortal Combat, Resident Evil, and Duke Nukem.

Careful consideration of the exciting reception surrounding reality-based television shows, will unveil a similar parallel in the gaming industry. Bestselling titles, like The Sims, Stunt Driver, Halo, Sim City, and Grand Theft Auto, all have a firm foundation in alternate perspectives of reality. The obsessive game, The Sims, allows a player to create a character or family to guide through a life simulation. The player interacts with the game by choosing a career path for their characters, maintaining a thriving social life, and even falling in love and creating children. Players continue aimlessly through this never-ending litany of social experimentation. The ultimate goal is completed when a character gains promotion to the highest career level possible in their field of work.

Even the U.S. Army is leveraging the increasing popularity of the gaming medium. Recently, the Army began distribution of a first-person shooter designed to improve recruiting efforts. Not wishing to receive bad press for making profits from battle simulation, they provide the game free to interested prospects. (Takahashi 8)

Gaming popularity, now competing solely with television, has even branched into new applications, as described by Jkrki Kasvi, in this excerpt of her paper, "Not Just Fun and Games, Internet Games as a Training Medium." "Computer games have been suggested as one potential new training and learning medium. Some have disagreed, feeling that games are mere entertainment the most popular entertainment media, second only to television in popularity. Already in 1981, the turnover of the U.S. Gaming industry (home and arcade video games) exceeded that of the U.S. movie industry and Nevada gambling put together! (Herz 1997) In 1998, computer and video games grossed 5.5 billion dollars in the U.S. alone and the annual growth was 25% (IDSA 1999)."

(Kasvi 1)

Now, it is possible in the year 2009 to major in a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Game Design, or even a Master's Degree in Game Project Development. This seems to be the new, hot degree to achieve in the 21st century and is very similar to the 90's IT craze that rolled through the final years of the past decade. Online educational facilities have begun adapting their course offerings to capture students of this growing field. Overall, the simple fact that a student can choose to major in gaming is a big catalyst for future growth of this industry.

In recent years, the popularity of gaming has positioned this communication medium as one of the fastest-growing forms of leisure. This trend is further evidenced within the current issues erupting on the playing field such as ethics, ratings, and affects of games on minors. Additionally, gaming profits have succeeded the dollars normally secured by Hollywood box office hits. Now, gaming is bigger than ever, boasting a $10 billion dollar profit level. For so long, it seemed nearly impossible to break the record figures of Hollywood sales. To another extreme, we even see Hollywood crafting movies about top-selling games - and it used to be the other way around, entirely.

If these arguments are not enough, then consider the potential for adaptation of gaming technology for commonplace solutions. We accept the ability for games to educate children in a fun and supportive environment. We also, realize the significance that these innovations may lend to higher learning institutions, occupational training, armed services recruiting, and even advertising, graphic arts, or music that borrows from the inspirations games impress upon players. This adaptation of gaming communication positions the medium with more strength as a new form of mass media.

A closing statement from T.L. Stanley's article in Advertising Age magazine says it all, "There's a universal appeal to the approach. Everybody has touched a game...whether it was in a bar, an arcade, a mall, at home, online. AT some point, everyone's done it. And at some point, we'll have a president who grew up playing Super Mario Brothers." (Stanley 4) This quote packs a powerful punch to those that believe gaming is simply for children. Now a mass, media maven, this form of communication is here to stay.

Bibliography:

Wilson, James H. and S. Roy, "Mass Media/Mass Communication." McGraw Hill. 5th ed. New York, NY, 2001.

Mainelli, Tom, "Video Games Go Mainstream." PC World. May 22, 2002.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,100904,00.asp

Krantz, Mike, "Video Game College is Boot Camp for Designers" USA Today. December 3, 2002. Http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2002-12-03-video_x.htm

Kasvi, Jyrki J.J., "Not Just Fun and Games." Helsinki University of Technology 2000, http://www.knowledge.hut.fi/people/jkasvi/njfag.pdf

Stanley, T.L., "Video Games: The New Reality of Youth." Advertising Age. March 22, 2004. http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=40096

"Video Game Culture." Media Awareness Network. 2005 http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/research_documents/studies/video_games/vgc_conclusion.cfm